InsituMicron
IIT Madras
At the intersection of innovation and practicality, InsituMicron, from IIT Madras, embarked on a transformative journey with GDC’s I-NCUBATE Program. Specializing in miniaturized multifunctional mechanical testing, the team set out with a bold vision: to make advanced testing tools more accessible and affordable across a range of industries.
From the outset, InsituMicron’s innovative idea promised to revolutionize how mechanical testing is conducted. Their miniaturized setup was designed to serve a diverse clientele, including defence, aerospace, nuclear, automotive, electronics, biomedical fields, and academia. The promise was to provide high-quality testing capabilities in a more compact and cost-effective format, addressing the needs of various sectors.
Upon joining the I-NCUBATE Program, InsituMicron’s journey took a significant turn. The initial excitement about their “magical product” faced reality checks as they explored the true needs and demands of their potential customers. They engaged with a variety of stakeholders, from professors and researchers in academia to industry experts in automotive and testing labs. This process revealed several key lessons. In academia, while there was interest, the market seemed relatively small and limited. In contrast, the automotive and composite industries showed promise but also highlighted a gap between existing solutions and emerging needs.
A key breakthrough came from discussions with the tyre industry, revealing a growing need for specialized testing of composite materials. This insight shifted InsituMicron’s focus toward the burgeoning composite sector, where new materials demand advanced testing to meet stringent regulations and safety standards
The insights gained from the I-NCUBATE Program pushed InsituMicron to explore beyond their initial comfort zone. They began to understand the broader scope of their potential market, particularly in the composites industry within the mobility sector. The feedback received emphasized the need for tailored solutions to address unique industry challenges, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Looking forward, InsituMicron is poised to delve deeper into the composites sector, applying the valuable lessons learned from their time in the I-NCUBATE Program. They are now focused on understanding the industry’s process flows, verifying assumptions about the need for their solutions, and quantifying the impact their product could have on quality, time efficiency, and monetary benefits.
